Food Insecurity in the

Greater Lehigh Valley:

Factors Influencing Increased Demand for Food Bank Product and Services

The Food Bank is Growing

The number
of people
served each
month has
increased
146.77%
(from 25,000 to
61,694)

From 2000
to 2016

The pounds
of food
distributed
each year
has
increased
114.63%
(from 4.1 million
to 8.8 million)

Donated Product

2000:
380,000 pounds
(9.27% of pounds distributed)

2016:
2,952,270 pounds
(33.55% of pounds distributed)

Increase:
676.91%

+12,324%
2010:
14,634 pounds
(2010 is the first year this was tracked)

2016:
1,818,069 pounds

Perishable Foods

Since 2000, CSFP and Backpack

Buddies were launched (in 2003
and 2007):
+24,000 boxes each year for
seniors and for women, infants,
and children
+19,000 backpacks each year for
students

Cooking Matters
was launched in FY10 and
served 15 people.
In 2016, 375 adults and
children participated in the
program.

Community Trends

Unless otherwise specified, all data is from the

U.S. Census Bureau (2000-2014).

Population
The population of the service area increased by 125,159 people (14.38%).

Lehigh

Northampton

Carbon

Monroe

Pike

Wayne

13.6%
+42,447

12.04%
+32,159

10.33%
+6,072

21.38%
+29,655

22.85%
+10,581

8.9%
+4,245

13.26% of the population growth occurred in the three cities

Households
The number of households in the service area increased by 37,882 (11.39%).

Lehigh

Northampton

9.62%
+11,737

10.98%
+11,159

Carbon

8.58%
+2,035

Monroe

Pike

Wayne

16.47%
+8,153

21.41%
+3,736

5.8%
+1,062

1.9% of the growth in households occurred in the three cities

Poverty
The number of people with income below the federal poverty level
increased by 89,968 (120.67%). The greatest increases were in Northampton
and Monroe counties.
Lehigh

Northampton

Carbon

Monroe

Pike

64.2%
+18,036

206.29%
+42,092

29.1%
+1,603

204.19%
+24,870

72.5%
+2,304

Wayne

20.47%
+1,063

21.35% of the increase in the number of people living in poverty

occurred in the three cities

Increase in Population
125,159
Increase in People Living
in Poverty

89,968

Increase in people with

income below the
federal poverty level:

Increase in people
served through our
member agencies:

89,968

36,694

Service Gap: 53,274 people

(does not include people below 100% of federal poverty level)

Percent of People and

Families in Poverty
Lehigh

Northampton

Carbon

Monroe

Pike

Wayne

People
2000

9%

7.64%

9.37%

8.78%

6.86%

10.88%

People
2014

13.01%

20.89%

10.96%

22.01%

9.64%

12.04%

Families
2000

6.65%

5.71%

6.82%

6.18%

10.44%

8.4%

Families
2014

10.03%

7.1%

7.4%

9.4%

7.4%

8.4%

Percent of People and

Families in Poverty
Allentown

Bethlehem

Easton

Total Service
Area

Total - Cities

People
2000

17.71%

13.98%

14.33%

8.56%

15.97%

People
2014

26.3%

19.3%

22.6%

16.52%

23.47%

Families
2000

14.57%

11.1%

12.31%

6.5%

13.06%

Families
2014

21.8%

15%

33.5%

8.61%

20.17%

Employment
and Income
Change in Number of People
Who Are Unemployed:
Lehigh +161.93%
Northampton: +104.95%
Carbon: +96.16%
Monroe: +166.67%
Pike: +223.72%
Wayne: +55.55%
Allentown: +139.76%
Bethlehem: +24.74%
Easton: +85.73%

Increase in Civilian
Labor Force
18.78%
Increase in
Unemployment
138.98%

Increase in Median
Household Income:
Lehigh:
+28.15%
Northampton: +34.94%
Carbon:
+42.15%
Monroe:
+24.84%
Pike:
+32.05%
Wayne:
+44.61%

Increase in Median Household

Income:
Lehigh:
+28.15%
Northampton: +34.94%
Carbon:
+42.15%
Monroe:
+24.84%
Pike:
+32.05%
Wayne:
+44.61%
Crowding the Margins: A
Report on the Results of
Interviews of 500 People
Seeking Relief from Food
Insecurity (Second Harvest
Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and
Northeast Pennsylvania, 2011)

Characteristics of people who use

our emergency food network:
More than 60% are renters
More than 60% pay for heat and
electric
More than 60% do not have
health insurance
60% have unpaid medical bills,
and nearly 70% of those bills are
over $1000

Increase in Expenses (20002015):

Consumer Price Index: +37.34%
Cost of Food: +47.74%
Cost of Housing: +41.21%
Cost of Medical Care: +72.97%
Gasoline: +62.25%
Crude Oil: +66.13%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Energy

Price Increases
and Income
500

450

400

350

300

CPI Annual Average-All

CPI Annual Average-Food
CPI Annual Average-Housing

250

CPI Annual Average-Medical Care

Average Gas Price

200

Average Oil Price

150

100

50

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Transportation
The number of households without a car increased 8.06%

Lehigh: +6.63%
Northampton: +5.08%
Carbon: +12.91%
Monroe: +20.35%
Pike: +55.33%
Wayne: -15.41%

Housing

In 2000, 4064 households in the

service area did not have
complete kitchen facilities:

Lehigh:
Northampton:
Carbon:
Monroe:
Pike:
Wayne:

1213
1486
287
439
106
139

By 2014, this number decreased

to 3670 mostly due to Pike and
Wayne counties:

Lehigh:
Northampton:
Carbon:
Monroe:
Pike:
Wayne:

+148
+397
-69
+121
-411
-580

Cost-Burdened Homeowners and Renters

Homeowners With a
Mortgage:

Homeowners Without a
Mortgage:

Renters:

Lehigh:
Northampton:
Carbon:
Monroe:
Pike:
Wayne:

Lehigh:
Northampton:
Carbon:
Monroe:
Pike:
Wayne:

+20.05%
+26.54%
+32.42%
+28.64%
+33.96%
+51.06%

Allentown:
Bethlehem
Easton:

Allentown:
+15.45%
Bethlehem:
+0.61%
Easton:
+13.82%

+72.51%
+67.55%
+45.54%
+53.22%
+79.68%
+61.60%

Lehigh:
Northampton:
Carbon:
Monroe:
Pike:
Wayne:

+77.68% Allentown:
+70.41% Bethlehem
+56.92% Easton:

+72.77%
+80.70%
+81.85%
+146.54%
+58.90%
+97.42%
-23.84%
-12.30%
+0.08%

Cost-Burdened Homeowners and Renters are those who pay 30% or more of
their income toward housing expenses

Fair Market Rent

For a two-bedroom apartment in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton MSA
The fair market
rent increased
65.78% from
$602 in 2000 to
$998 in 2016

974
909
853
791

931

972

998

915

859

816

753

602

608

628

643

647

671

Increase in Median
Household Income:
Lehigh: +28.15%
Northampton: +34.94%
Carbon: +42.15%
Monroe: +24.84%
Pike: +32.05%
Wayne: +44.61%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Summary
o While the total pounds distributed has increased, the pounds per person served has
decreased

o There is a greater need for flexibility to accommodate perishable and donated product
because acceptance and distribution of these foods have greatly increased
o The population, and the number and percent of people who have income below the
federal poverty level, has increased significantly

o The increase in number of people served by the food bank is less than half of the
increase in people in the service area who have income below the poverty level
o The increase in median household income has not kept up with the increase in
expenses related to food, housing, and medical care
o Unemployment has increased at least 50% in every county served by the food bank
o More homes in Lehigh, Northampton, and Monroe Counties have inadequate kitchen
facilities necessitating the purchase of expensive prepared foods without food bank
support
o The increase in fair market rent has outpaced increases in the median household
income
o More renters and homeowners are cost-burdened